Title	ADVISORY CAMPAIGN: TOMORROW CAME YESTERDAY
Brand	SEB BANK
Product/Service	FINANCIAL SERVICES
Category	D01. Integrated Campaign led by PR
Media Agency	MINDSHARE Vilnius, LITHUANIA
Production Company	TV PLAY Vilnius, LITHUANIA
Entrant Company	VIESUJU RYSIU PARTNERIAI VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

Name	Company	Position
Mykolas Katkus	VRP Hill/Knowlton Strategies	Chairman of the board
Mindaugas Ardišauskas	VRP Hill/Knowlton strategies	Managing Director
Lina Šliogerienė	VRP Hill/Knowlton Strategies	Director for Communication 360
Aidas Puklevičius	VRP Hill/Knowlton Strategies	Creative director
Justas Nenėnas	VRP Hill/Knowlton Strategies	Specialist for strategy
Gabija Karpavičiūtė	VRP Hill/Knowlton Strategies	Project Manager
Egle Mikalainienė	VRP Hill/Knowlton Strategies	Project Manager
Karl Multer	SEB bank Estonia	Director of Marketing and Communications of pan Baltic
Silver Vohu	SEB bank Estonia	Head of communications and marketing
Liudas Rimkus	SEB bank Lithuania	Head of marketing
Modris Atpils	SEB bank Latvia	Head of marketing
Antanas Bartusevičius	SEB bank Lithuania	Head of investment products
Simas Bačiulis	Adell Taivas Ogilvy	Account director
Linas Paulikas	Mindshare Baltics	Client Leadership/Business Development Director
Laurynas Šeškus	TV play	Head of production company
Valdonė Ovadnevienė	TV play	Producer

The Campaign

Financial literacy and planning have always concerned SEB bank (hereinafter, SEB) as various surveys and statistics show that people do not plan for their future. Also, the trust in banks decreases in all three Baltic states. The goal of SEB bank was to establish and strengthen its brand voice as a trusted advisor, understanding its customers’ needs. To do so, we firstly initiated the topic why it is important to think about the future (almost invisible link with SEB) by internal communication, radio podcasts, PR buzz and documentary drama – produced and aired on national TV channels. Then post-documentary stage, including TV and digital parts followed (executed primarily by media planning and advertising agencies), inviting people to learn how to think about the future (link with SEB and direct promotion of financial consultations). Throughout the campaign we aimed to use SEB internal online channels – infohub, Facebook and Youtube. PR agency was instrumental in leading the whole campaign and initiation of the topic about future. Firstly, we laid out the campaign strategy and plan for both internal and external activities. Secondly, we initiated the topic of necessity of thinking about future when making key decisions in life within the society by media relations and podcast campaign. Thirdly, as the documentary drama was the highlight of the campaign, we created its script and oversaw production process. Lastly, we helped to ensure that all activities are in tune with a brand voice, key messages are clear and consistent (both internally and externally).

The Brief

The goal of SEB bank was to establish and strengthen its brand voice as a trusted professional advisor in the eyes of private customers. To reach this goal, the following objectives were set up: 1) to raise awareness about the necessity to think and plan one’s future (PR part), 2) link SEB bank with the topic and invite people to financial consultations (advertising and media planning agencies part) 3) continue showing how SEB helps people improve their lives by providing quality advice and putting them in control of their money (PR and advertising agency part).

Execution

Campaign was launched internally by creating and presenting White Paper outlining bank and external experts’ predictions of the world in 30 years. Afterwards, SEB designed Readiness for Retirement Index which results were communicated in the media. Radio podcasts were broadcasted (Lithuania), in which SEB expert interviewed famous people on a national radio. For podcasts promotion, separate website and content project with a leading news portal were made. Three versions of documentary drama were produced featuring local experts and aired on major TV channels. For documentary promotion TV trailers and media relations were instrumental, as well as news integration in Lithuania by oldifying news presenter. Connection between documentary and SEB was ensured after film via TV advertisements, news portals projects and SEB landing pages (implemented by media planning and advertising agencies). For real feel, participants of conference LOGIN 2015 in Lithuania received their oldified pictures. SEB online channels ¬were used extensively.

Awareness raising: At least 10k listeners listened to each of 5 radio podcasts. Readiness for Retirement Index communication in Lithuania was highly successful – media initiations resulted in 44 publications, 8 and 5 mentions in radio and TV respectively reaching more than 1,1 million contacts. Ratings of the film were 5,8 GRP (Lithuania), 2,9 GRP (Latvia) and 2,4 GRP (Estonia). In general TV campaign (trailers, documentary, ads) reach was 75,2% (Lithuania), 76,1% (Latvia), 85,3% (Estonia) of all audience. Knowledge: documentary film, the key instrument of the campaign, achieved its goal in conveying key message. According to representative survey, documentary drama encouraged the viewers to think about the future: 83 % (Lithuania), 70% (Latvia), 38% (Estonia) and to plan finances: 35% (Lithuania), 30% (Latvia), 54% (Estonia). Moreover, the film was well-rated among its viewers: Lithuanians gave 7,5, Latvians 6,9 and Estonians 6,2 points out of 10.

The Strategy

To strengthen the image of SEB as a trusted advisor, it was decided to create relevance of need for financial advice by initiating the topic about the future. The key message – people should start thinking about future and act today to make it better. Firstly, SEB employees were mobilized by showcasing the logic of campaign. Then external activities commenced, emphasizing why it is important to think about the future (almost invisible link with SEB) and then how to do so (direct link with SEB). As the same campaign was implemented in all three countries, careful planning was essential. For instance, TV is a very influential tool in Latvia and Lithuania, while in Estonia digital channels are more important. Therefore, it was important to consider all local nuances.